No Offense, But…
Don’t you hate hearing that? I really do. It’s always followed by something offensive. This is not a good faith statement; it’s an excuse preceded by an insult. And, if I’m honest, it’s the way today’s verse always made me feel.
Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Let Me Explain
I totally understand the second part – you have to believe in God to reap the rewards of believing in Him. In fact, if you don’t have faith in Him, you may not even recognize that the blessings you have come from HIm. It was always the first part of the verse that got me… the “I” word. You know, “impossible.” Impossible is just a word I don’t believe in. I’ve seen too many miracles; I’ve done and witnessed too many things which I was told were impossible to believe in it. Anything is possible; some may be improbable but rarely impossible.
Why?
“Without faith, it is impossible to please Him…” Â Why is it impossible? More importantly, why does this verse make me mad? Why not take it at face value? Why not just accept it and move on? Well, it’s because I didn’t understand. What is it about a lack of faith that makes it impossible to please God? What is the function of faith in this equation? How does my faith impact His pleasure?
Revelations From Reflections
Faith functions in a few ways. First, faith is born out of trust. One can not possibly have faith in another if there is not trust. Next, faith comes from knowing and having a relationship with the one in whom you have put your faith. Without a relationship, there can not be trust. Finally, when a person establishes a relationship with someone, they learn all sorts of things about them.
Let me give you an example.
A few days ago, one of my kids announced at dinner that “Dad said” so and so was sick or had some disability or ailment. Immediately, the rest of the family responded that this statement had to be false because “Dad would never say that.” Even the child who had made the announcement retracted it. Because they have developed a relationship with their dad, they know that he believes words have power, so you, “Don’t call sickness down pon dem.” While he may acknowledge that people don’t feel well, need medication, need to see a doctor or go to the hospital – he is very careful not to say that they “ARE sick.” Instead, he says they feel sick.
Not Semantics
When we were a young couple, I dismissed this as semantics. As I grew older, I came to recognize the danger of assigning a condition to someone. If any of us accidentally do, he still replies, “Don’t say that; You’re healed in Jesus’ name.” He then proceeds to pray over us with his hand on our heads. This practice is a constant reminder that God can do all things and can heal us instantly if He chooses to. It also prevents us from dismissing people because we assume they can not do something because of their condition.Â
So What’s The Point?
The point is, of course, it is impossible to please God without faith! To please someone, you need to know them well enough to know what will please them. In the same way, we all knew my husband well enough to know what he would never say; we need to know God the same way. We need to spend so much time in His word that we know not just the word but the spirit of the word. We need to spend so much time praying to Him that we hear His voice. If we don’t take the time to build a relationship with Him, we will not know him. If we do not know Him, we will not trust Him. If we do not know him – it will be impossible to please him. Like buying a gift for a stranger, our efforts are a shot in the dark if we don’t at least know something about them.
40 Day Challenge Reading: Day 4
Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.